Nae man can seek his marrow i' the kirn sae weel as him that has been in't himsel.
"Spoken to those who suspect us guilty of a thing in which they take measure of us by their practices and inclinations."-- Kelly.
Nae man can thrive unless his wife will let him.
Nae man has a tack o' his life.
Nae man is wise at a' times, nor on a' things.
Nae mills nae meal.
Nae penny, nae paternoster.
Nae plea is the best plea.
Nae rule sae gude as rule o' thoom--if it hit.
Nae service, nae siller.
Nae sooner up than her head's in the aumrie.
Applied to lazy or greedy servants; implying that the first thing they do in the morning is to go to the "aumrie" or cupboard for something to eat.
Nae swat, nae sweet.
Naething but fill and fetch mair.
A philosophic way of meeting troubles. If a thing be wrong done, do it over again; or if it be lost, procure another.
Naething comes fairer to light than what has been lang hidden.
Naething comes out o' a close hand.
Naething freer than a gift.
Naething is got without pains but an ill name and lang nails.
Naething is ill said if it's no ill ta'en.
Naething is ill to be done when will's at hame.
Naething like being stark dead.
Meaning there is nothing like doing a thing thoroughly. "A vile, malicious proverb," says Kelly, "first used by Captain James Stewart against the noble Earl of Morton, and afterwards applied to the Earl of Strafford and Archbishop Laud."
Naething's a bare man
"A jocose answer to children when they say they have gotten nothing."-- Kelly.
Naething's a man's truly but what he comes by duly.
Naething sae bauld as a blind mear.
"Who so bold as blood Bayard?"-- English.
"Ignorance breeds confidence; consideration, slowness and wariness."-- Ray.
Naething sae crouse as a new wash'd louse.
"Spoken of them who have been ragged and dirty, and are proud and fond of new or clean clothes."-- Kelly.
Naething sooner maks a man auld-like than sitting ill to his meat.
"To sit ill to one's meat, to be ill fed."-- Jamieson.
Naething to be done in haste but gripping fleas.
In his introduction to Henderson's Proverbs, Motherwell relates a humorous anecdote in connection with this proverb. An indefatigable collector of "rusty sayed saws," a friend of his, was in the habit of jotting down any saying new to him on the back of cards, letters, &c., and thrusting them into his pocket. On one occasion he had an altercation with a stranger at a friend's house. The quarrel becoming warm, ended by Motherwell's friend excitedly handing the other (as he thought) his card. On the gentleman's preparing to vindicate his honour next morning, it occurred to him to learn the name of his antagonist. On looking at the card he found no name, but, in place of it, traced in good legible characters, "Naething should be done in a hurry but catching fleas." The effect of this was irresistible, and the result an immediate reconciliation.
Naething to do but draw in your stool and sit down.
Everything is so far advanced that the finishing stroke only is wanting. Applied to a man who is courting a widow or spinster already in possession of a well-furnished house.
Naething venture, naething win.
Nae weather's ill an' the wind be still.
Nae wonder ye're auld like, ilka thing fashes you.
That is, because you allow every little trifling occurrence to vex you.
Nane are sae weel but they hope to be better.
Nane but fools and knaves lay wagers.
Henderson, in his Proverbs, reads "poets" for "fools," possibly as a hit upon some of his friends, several of whom were poets of local celebrity.
Nane can mak a bore but ye'll find a pin for't
Meaning that none can find fault with you but you will be able to give an excuse for it. "As soon find hare without a mense as you without excuse."-- English.
Nane can play the fool sae weel as a wise man.
Nane can tell what's i' the shaup till it's shelt.
That is, in the husk until it is shelled.
Nane kens whaur a blister may light.
Narrow gathered, widely spent.
Nature passes nurture.
Nearer e'en the mair beggars.
Nearer God's blessing than Carlisle fair.
"You need but go to your closet for the one, but you must go out of the kingdom for the other."- Kelly.
Nearer the bane, sweeter the flesh.
"And for eating--what signifies telling it lee? there's just the hinder end of the mutton-ham that has been but three times on the table, and the nearer the bane the sweeter, as your honours weel ken; and--there's the heel of the ewe-milk kebbuck, wi' a bit o' nice butter, and--and--that's a' that's to trust to."-- Bride of Lammermoor.
Nearer the rock, the sweeter the grass.
Nearest the heart, nearest the mou.
"Spoken to them who, designing to name one person, by mistake names another, perhaps a sweetheart."- Kelly.
Nearest the king, nearest the widdy.
"Widdy," rope or gallows. Meaning that those who occupy political or subservient positions do so only during the pleasure of their superiors.
Near's my kirtle, but nearer's my sark.
Near's my sark, but nearer's my skin.
The two last sayings are common to many nations. "Some friends are nearer to me than others-my parents and children than my other relations, those than my neighbours, my neighbours than strangers; but, above all, I am next to myself."- Ray.
Near the kirk, but far frae grace.
This fact is so well ascertained that there is another to the same effect. "Farthest frae the kirk aye soonest at it ;" and the English are of a similar opinion, for Spenser writes:
"At kirke the narre from God more farre,
Has been an old sayed sawe."
Necessity has nae law.
Necessity's the mither o' invention.
Neck or naething, the king lo'es nae cripples.
"A prophane jest upon those who are like to fall, wishing that they may either break their neck or come off safe ; for breaking a limb will make them useless subjects."-- Kelly.
Need gars naked men run, and sorrow gars wabsters spin.
"Hunger drives the worlf out of the wood."- Italian.
In the second clause we have another discreditable imputation on the weaving fraternity, implying that they only work when compelled by hunger, and are not naturally industrious.
Need gars the auld wife trot
"'This is your mother, is it not ?' (Cuddie nodded.) 'What can have brought your mother and you down the water so late?' 'Troth, stir, just what gars the auld wives trot--neshessity, stir. I'm seeking for service, stir.'"-- Old Mortality.
Need maks a man o craft.
Need maks greed.
Need maks the naked quean spin.
Ne'er break out o' kind to gar your friends ferlie at you.
Do not do strange acts merely for the sake of astonishing your friends.
Ne'er count the lawin' wi' a toom quaich.
"Quaich," a small and shallow drinking-cup with two ears. The proverb has a similar meaning to "Weel fa' the wife," &c., q. v.
Ne'er do ill that gude may come o't.
Ne'er draw your dirk when a dunt will do.
That us, do not resort to extreme measures when mild means will suffice.
Ne'er fash your beard
"'Tell them all this, and hear what they say till't.
"'Indeed, mistress, I can tell ye that already, without stirring my shanks for the matter,' answered Nelly Trotter; 'they will e'en say that ye are ae auld fule, and me anither, that may hae some judgment in cock-bree or in scaterumples, but maunna fash our beards about onything else.'"- St Ronan's Well.
Ne'er find faut wi' my shoon, unless you pay my souter.
Addressed to impertinent persons who find fault with the personal appearance or dress of others.
Ne'er gang to the deil wi' the dishclout on your head.
"If you will be a knave, be not in a trifle, but in something of value. A Presbyterian minister had a son who was made Archdeacon of Ossery; when this was told to his father, he said, 'If my son will be a knave, I am glad that he will be an archknave.' This has the same sense, 'As good be hanged for an old sheep as a young lamb.'"-- Kelly.
Ne'er gie me my death in a toom dish.
This means, jocularly, if you wish to kill me, do it not by starvation; in other words, give me something to eat.
Ne'er gude, egg nor bird
Ne'en kiss a man's wife, on dight his knife, for he'll do baith after you.
Ne'er let on, but laugh in your sleeve.
Ne'er let the nose blush for the sins o' the mouth.
Ne'er let your feet rin faster than your shoon.
"'But you must recollect, that before taking such a step you ought to be pretty well provided with means.'
"'On', fegs ! I hae nae trick o' letting my feet rin faster than my shoon. I'll no forget the means, ye may be sure; and as for Jean hersel, I hae nae skill o' women folk, if she's no just as willing as me.'"- The Disruption.
Ne'er lippen ower muckle to a new friend or an auld enemy.
Ne'er marry a penniless maiden that's proud o' her pedigree.
Ne'er marry a widow unless her first man was hanged.
Ne'er misca' a Gordon in the raw's o' Stra'bogie.
The Gordons were the ruling clan in Strathbogie; and the proverb means that we should never speak ill of a man on his own property.
Ne'er put your arm out farther than you can draw it easily back again.
"The deacon used to say to me, 'Nick-young Nick' (his name was Nicol as well as mine, sae folk ca'd use, in their daffin, young Nick and auld Nick)-'Nick,' said he, 'never put out your arm farther than ye can draw it easily back again.'"- Rob Roy.
Ne'er ower auld to learn.
Ne'er put a sword in a wudman's hand.
Ne'er put the plough before the owsen.
Ne'er quit certainty for hope.
Ne'er rax abune your reach.
That is, do not exert yourself beyond your strength.
Ne'er say gae, but gang.
Ne'er say "Ill fallow" to him you deal wi'.
Ne'er shaw me the meat, but the man
"If a man be fat, plump, and in good liking, I shall not ask what keeping he has had."- Kelly.
Ne'er shaw your teeth unless ye can bite.
Ne'er speak ill o' the deil.
Ne'er speak ill o' them whase bread ye eat.
Ne'er spend gude siller looking for bad.
"John had never before taken any debtor to law, his motto being, 'Never spend gude siller looking for bad;' but in this case, he said, he was determined to roup them to the door, although it shouldna put a penny in his pouch."-- Ray's "Generalship."
Ne'er strive against the stream.
Ne'er tak a forehammer to break an egg.
Ne'er tell your fae when your fit sleeps.
Ne'er throw the bridle o' your horse ower a fool's arm.
Ne'er use the taws when a gloom will do.
Of similar import to "Ne'er draw your dirk," q. v.
Ne'er was a wife weel pleased coming frae the mill but ane, and she brak her neck bane.
Kelly says this is "commonly said to wives when they come from the mill, but the occasion, sense, or meaning I know not." Is it not because they are always dissatisfied with the "mouter" which the miller takes?
Ne'er waur happen you than your ain prayer.
Neither fish, flesh, fowl, nor gude red herring.
Used to signify that an article is good for nothing.
Neither sae sinfu' as to sink nor sae holy as to soom.
Never's a lang word.
New lairds mak new laws.
Next to nae wife, a gude ane's best.
Nineteen naesays o' a maiden is half a grant.
"Her laugh will lead you to the place,
Where lies the happiness ye want;
And plainly tell you to your face,
Nineteen nae-says are half a grant."
Tea Table Miscellany.
Nipping and scarting's Scotch folk's wooing.
"It may be Scotch folk's wooing ; but if that's the gait Betty Bodle means to use you, Watty, my dear, I would see her, and a' the Kilmarkeckles that ever were cleckit, doon the water, or strung in a wuddy, before I would hae onything to say to ane come o' their seed or breed. To lift her hands to her bridegroom !"-- The Entail.
Now-a-days truth's news.
Now's now, and Yule's in winter.

O'AE ill come mony.
O' a' fish i' the sea, herring is king.
O' a' ills, nane's best.
O' a' little tak a little; when there's nought tak a'.
O' a' meat i' the warld the drink gaes best down.
O' a' sorrow, a fu' sorrow's the best.
"Spoken when friends die and leave good legacies."-- Kelly.
O' a' the months o' the year curse a fair Februar.
O' bairns' gifts ne'er be fain; nae sooner they gie than they tak it again.
O' gude advisement comes nae ill.
O' ill debtors men get aiths.
"Aith," or oath, is here used in the sense of promise, signifying that from "ill debtors" men get not money but promises, which, of course, are never performed.
Oh for a drap o' gentle blude, that I may wear black abune my brow.
"In Scotland no woman is suffered to weal a silk hood unless she be a gentlewoman; that is, a gentleman's daughter, or married to a gentleman. A rich maid having the offer of a wealthy yeoman, or a bare gentleman, wished for the last, to qualify her to wear a black hood. It is since spoken to such wealthy maidens upon the like occasion."-- Kelly.
O' little meddling comes muckle care.
On painting and fighting look abeigh.
On the sea sail, on the land settle.
Onything for ye about an honest man's house but a day's wark.